Is church for today?
1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
When you read this verse, doesn’t it sound to you like God is talking about an actual meeting place? An actual physical, brick and mortar type building? When I see the term, “house of God, which is the church of the living God” And “pillar”, I mean, upon a non pre-conditioned, unbiased first reading, is there any doubt that this verse is talking about an actual, physical building?

Read it again. (I dare you). Did you? Come on, did you really read it a second time? I think that’s a fair request, don’t you? I mean, if we are going to examine this verse, doesn’t it deserve a second look? And right now, I would guess that many of you are looking at it through the lens of “deconstruct and re-word”.

 A lot of people say that we are the church, meaning we the people. And yes, it is true that God says that we the people (the believing people), are the body of Christ and His members. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t also to be an actual building called the church. There are actual verses that tell us that yes, we are to meet together as believers, and that, yes, it is an actual physical building we are to go to and that building is actually called a church.
 1 Timothy 3:5 For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Yes, this church can be read two different ways. When it talks about a man ruling his house, it means his household (his family), and it also means the physical structure he lives in. He does the plumbing, he leads his family in devotionals. The meaning is not one or the other…it is family and physical structure. The same Pastor who takes care of his own house, also makes sure that someone shovels the snow at church, someone mows the lawn at church, so that he can prepare the sermons for the people and tend to their spiritual needs.
I know what some of you house group people are thinking. They met from house to house. They had “house church”. They didn’t do traditional church.

O. Really? …and breaking bread, from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Praising God and having favour with all the with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:47 to 48 So there we have it, right? They went house to house for church? Yes, that would be correct, unless we also read the first portion of the passage. And they, continuing daily with one accord IN THE TEMPLE and breaking bread, from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Praising God and having favour with all the with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:47 to 48 That is the complete passage. They were in the temple every day, and then they also had daily fellowship in one another’s homes. So why do the house church people always neglect to mention the first part of the verse?

Now, I know that some of you are screaming right now, “Well, there are other verses too” and yes, we will get to them. But for now, before you shoot my duckie out of the sky, let’s let him present his full beak at least before you shoot him down. My point here, with this verse is, they did go from house to house. But that was after they went to the temple. And they were in the temple every day. Why was that? They clearly were open to meeting in one another’s homes. But this in no way took the place of meeting in the temple. Were they just hanging out at the temple? Maybe. But since it says that they were there in one accord, Don’t you kind of get the feeling that they were there for some specific purpose? Like prayer or maybe even…(gulp) an actual worship service? (wow!) Because I know a lot of you want to act like there was just this great commune of Jesus people who met from house to house (they did) and shared everything. And yes. They did that too. Yet the very verse that says
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
This very passage is directly above the one about meeting in the temple. Yes, these house fellowship loving, commune living folk, met with one accord in the temple, every single day, just as they did in the upper room several verses prior.
 Wow. All of you house group people take note: your predecessors also met in the temple. Not just for fellowship in homes. Why did this stop? Why the house group movement. Pain. Pain. Rejection. More pain. Pastoral nonsense. Pain. More nonsense. Scandal. Deadness. Dry sermons. Disallusionment.
Thankfully, in our nation there are more than 2 or three temples on every corner. Move on. Don’t quit church.
 I hear you right now. "I am done with church. I will lick my wounds with select believers". Go on then. Heal Recover. Then get back in church. I realize starting over is hard. Please don’t only live the second part of this passage. Don’t isolate and segregate. You do it right, even if your pastor did it all wrong. (He’s been hurt too, you know). Hurt people hurt people. He’s not the only man of God out there. Take a chance each weekend. You’ll find the right place I know you think you’ve found it in your home. Now go live the first part of this passage. Pray about it. (will you please please pray? I mean don’t tell me I have prayed Pray right now)/ The Holy Spirit will help you get back into a church that you love. Give Him a chance. He never quit you. And daily in the temple, AND in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ"--Acts 5:42

Symbolic Eucharist

Gen 49:11 refers to wine as the “blood of the grape”, see also Deut. 32:14

1 Corinthians 10:16

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Does this verse say that the wine is literally Christ's blood, or rather, the communion of His blood?

Matthew 26:27-28

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Notice how this verse speaks of the blood as having already been shed. Yet we know, His blood was not already shed; that would happen later. Why would He refer to the wine as His shed blood before it was shed? Because the wine was symbolizing His blood, which would be shed. In the future, all believers would be taking communion to symbolize the shed blood of Christ, just as they understood it, before His death, to symbolically represent His blood.

1 Corinthians 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

Believers would be remembering this moment, not re-enacting it. It is symbolizing something which has already occurred; we “remember”.

Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Notice the symbolism here...He is not yet crucified; He is speaking of what has not happened yet. Still, the wine is figuratively His blood which will be shed. It can not literally be His blood; His blood is in His body, not in the cup. He is setting up the model of a symbolic communion to be done in His memory.

Notice also our Lord's words “this cup is the new testament...”. Is the the New Testament a tangible thing, like a cup? Surely you see how a cup is a literal thing and a Testament is not a physical thing, but rather a concept. Or, if the New Testament is a physical thing, such as a document, is our Lord then saying that the literal cup is a literal scroll or such?

Other examples in scripture are symbolic of our Lord.

• “I am the door...” John 10:9
• “I am the TRUE vine...” John 15:1
  Though the word “true” is used, we don't use this as proof that our Lord is a literal vine...” we understand the allegory, based on the concept, despite the word “true”.
• “I an the good shepherd...” John 10:11
  We are symbolical sheep, he is our symbolical shepherd.

“...and my blood is drink indeed”.

Many Catholics and other groups believe that the wine is the literal blood of Christ, and that it is not symbolic.

They point to our Lord's words in John 6:55 where the word “indeed” is used. But we understand that this is allegorical, despite the word “indeed” based on the context of the surrounding text. In verse 63, he tells us that the words He speaks are spirit and truth.

60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Here we see that Jesus is explaining to the Kosher-observant Jews that He is not speaking of cannibalism (an unbiblical practice) but rather, of a spiritual, symbolic observance of communion with Him.

Furthermore, if Jesus is saying that his blood is literally drink, at that literal moment, we would expect Him to cut his flesh and pour out a cup for all. Clearly, based on the context of the text and the fact that Christ is physically present when He says this, we can take this to mean that Christ's blood is “spiritual drink” in the same way that He is the True Vine without literally being a plant.

"I am happy"

Today, as I was walking around planning my day, I felt the strongest urge to quote those words out loud. I soon noticed my children joining in. As I began quoting these words, my middle daughter said "Mom, I was just thinking those words five minutes ago!" Which is one major coincidence when you consider that it's been years since she saw me saying it in the mirror. Before I tell you this affirmation, I need to tell you how I learned it. I was in a school assembly back in junior high school, when a 90 year old minister came on stage. He was a kind looking man with soulful black eyes and skin. He carried himself with such quiet confidence and dignity. When he told us his age, we were agahst! The man didn't look a day over sixty, and that would have been the absolute highest age I could have believed without my jaw dropping. I could have believed he was fifty, easily. He was alert, and his posture was perfect. His doctor had told him that he was in perfect health, and asked him how he did it. He related to his doctor that every morning, he looked in the mirror and told himself this, outloud: I am happy. I am healthy. I ammmmmmm successful (he said this part with an urban groove)/ Today is the best day of my life. Tomorrow will be even better. I Can.

Pastor sets up Lucy type advise shack

"The church itself is beautiful, I love it with all my heart—but it's a little bit intimidating to people on the outside. That's what I'm afraid of. So, I simply sit there in this kind of humble booth and make myself available." -Pastor Gregory Fryer
"I have been pastor of this church for 25 years but I have learned it's easier to meet people if I sit on the street corner," Pastor Fryer told reporters.
His bright yellow booth is a tribute to an old Peanuts comic.

"I'm charmed by the idea of Lucy and her psychiatric help booth, 'Psychiatric Help, five cents, the doctor is in,' and then I thought well, I could do a pastor's version," said Fryer.
Some people get the reference, others not so much. Either way, Pastor Fryer makes it work.
"All kinds of people stop by, but they all seem to stop with good will ... sometimes people sit down at my booth and they burst into tears and the reason for that is because we all have our own story. We all have our hopes and dreams and sorrows and setbacks. I'm a pastor. My job is to listen as carefully as I can and then speak back words of encouragement by speaking about Jesus," Fryer explained.
When you sit on the street corner as often as Pastor Fryer does, your community starts to notice. That's why he started this whole thing in the first place, to let people know he's here and available to them.
"The church itself is beautiful, I love it with all my heart—but it's a little bit intimidating to people on the outside. That's what I'm afraid of. So, I simply sit there in this kind of humble booth and make myself available," said Fryer.
His approach helps take away any fear of rejection as he does this week after week.
"In theory nobody could stop by my booth. That would still be OK, because I'm looking at them. These are my neighbors. These are the neighbors to our church. So I try to look at them and when I see them in the neighborhood I recognize them and they recognize me," Fryer said.
After making himself available for nearly a year, some of those he's prayed with on the street, now walk through the doors of his church.
"If we save only one soul it'll be worth it. Well, we can point to one soul because we just baptized, recently, a young man who we met through the booth," Fryer said.
As for the five cent charge, the church provides your fee. Still, many drop in some coins or a few bucks to help in the cause.
"I think it's because they like the idea. They like the idea of the pastor being available even if they themselves don't feel the need for the pastor," said Fryer.

Is God Done with Israel? Addressing Replacement Theology

JEREMIAH 31:31-37

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. ¶ Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

JEREMIAH 33:25-26

Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

ROMANS CHAPTER 11

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Jer 32:36

¶ And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Jer 32:37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
Jer 32:38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:

JEREMIAH 31:31-37

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. ¶ Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

JEREMIAH 33:25-26

Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

ROMANS CHAPTER 11

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Jer 32:36

¶ And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Jer 32:37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:

JEREMIAH 31:31-37

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. ¶ Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

JEREMIAH 33:25-26

Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

ROMANS CHAPTER 11

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Jer 32:36

¶ And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Jer 32:37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
Jer 32:38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
Jer 32:39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
Jer 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
Jer 32:41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
Jer 32:42 ¶ For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.
Jer 32:43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.
Jer 32:44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.
Jer 32:38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
Jer 32:39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
Jer 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
Jer 32:41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
Jer 32:42 ¶ For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.
Jer 32:43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.
Jer 32:44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.
Jer 32:39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
Jer 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
Jer 32:41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
Jer 32:42 ¶ For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.
Jer 32:43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.
Jer 32:44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.

"omg"--taking God's name in vain

Why do people take the name of the Lord in vain? When I was a child, my mother used to rebuke me for saying God's name in any capacity other than referring to Him. This is interesting to me, because my mother never really claimed any religious belief other than that she believed in God. In fact, she always maintained that we, her children, were free to believe anything we wanted. She refused to interfere with or even influence our belief system. I remember being a small child and looking up at the blue sky, ( I think I was about 5 years old at the time), and I remember thinking, "There's SomeOne up there, and he knows all about me, and He made me, and He's watching me... I didn't know that He was called God. I just knew that He knew me. So it amazed me, years later, when my mother called me out for saying OMG when I wasn't referring to God. Why did this bother her so? I think that one of the reasons might be that back in my Mom's time, the ten commandments were taught in school. Yes, there was a time in American history when the ten commandments were taught and posted in public schools. Could it be that many young Christians today simply have never been taught that taking the Lord's name in vain is wrong? What does it mean to "take the name of the Lord" in vain? Well, the word "vain" actually means "empty". When someone uses God's name, but they aren't referring to God, then they are treating His name lightly, like something common. There is no meaning to it. They use "God" like an expression of delight, disgust, or shock. The original meaning becomes empty.

Grandpa's Spoon

The day grandpa came home was exciting for everyone; the entire family had known this day would come. Grandpa had been having trouble mowing his lawn, and driving his car safely. With joy, the family ushered him into the house and showed him his new room. It didn't take long for grandpa to settle in. At first, it was glorious. The mom and dad loved the relationship that grandpa and their son had together. And at night, they would all gather around grandpa while he told his war stories. But as time grew on, Grandpa began to face some challenges; sometimes he'd forget things, like what time it was. He would sometimes think it was morning when it was evening. And his hand-to-eye coordination was changing. As time progressed, grandpa began to be a nuisance. Meal time became clean-up time. Grandpa would spill his milk all over the table. And sometimes, the peas wouldn't stay on his spoon. His hands shaking, grandpa would try to clean up his messes each night, with a tear in his eyes as the reproaches began. The messes and scoldings began to increase until one night, the family could take no more. The clammering and clattering, the broken dishes and frayed nerves were finally put to an end when a wooden bowl and spoon were presented to grandpa. To reduce messes and enhance mealtime, we has sent to a separate table. Occassionally, guilt would creep over the Mom and Dad as they saw grandpa's sad face.But then they would remember how hard it had been having him at the table and they would sigh, resignedly. One day, the mother found her son carving something with wood. "What are you making?" she asked the boy. He answered just as sweetly "I'm carving a spoon for you and daddy to use when you get old"